Camping in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park

If you're looking for the perfect place to get away from the non-stop world of work and bills, there's no better place to go than to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park in Northern California. Located off of highway 101near Eureka, California, the park offers campgrounds, both walking and driving tours, and activities. The park covers over 52,000 acres, and over 17,000 of those are old growth redwood forests.

Campers will find two developed campsites at Humboldt: Burlington and Hidden Springs. A site at either includes a place to park right at your campsite, so there's no dragging your heavy tent for miles. You also get a metal fire barrel, a storage box, and a relatively flat location to set up camp. Running water is available at several spots around the site, and there is a shower and bathroom station within walking distance. For safety, each park is surrounded by a large stockade fence, so you won't need to worry about bears or other wildlife showing up in the middle of the night, although it is always a possibility. There is a small fee (less than $25 a night) to camp in the park.

Also, rangers are on-duty all day and evening, and you can buy firewood at the ranger station. On weekends, the rangers hold campfire activities for younger campers. A gift shop with information on the park is located between the two campsites

The real attraction, of course, are the trees. Both Burlington and Hidden Springs are surrounded by huge redwoods. You can walk through many of the different groves by following clearly-marked paths, and there are many fallen trees for kids to touch or climb on. Also, the Eel River flows through a part of the forest, and visitors can swim, relax on the sandy beach, or fish.

If you're not into camping or are on a tight schedule, you can simply drive down the 32-mile Avenue of the Giants, the main street of the park. The avenue was originally a stagecoach and wagon road in the 1880's, but today, it's a paved road that offers one of the most amazing drives you'll ever find. You can pick up a tour map at either end of the avenue that clearly marks some of the best groves to stop at. The Founders Grove is probably the most famous grove and features some of the biggest and tallest trees in the park. Other famous groves include the Women's Grove, the Bolling Grove, and the Chandler Grove.

In addition to Eureka, which is a good drive from the park, several other small towns are located nearby, and visitors will probably find what they need in one of the local stores. Redcrest, Myers Flat, and Weott all offer visitors the comfort that only small towns can.

If you're looking for a great place to take a weekend trip or even a place for a longer vacation, the Humboldt Redwoods State Park offers a small slice of nature free of annoying cell phones or deadlines. In fact, when I camped there in mid-July, I wasn't even able to get cell phone reception. If you need to be in contact with the outside world, you may want to look for a campground or park nearer to civilization, but if you want to get away from the world and experience one of nature's most beautiful locations, the pack up the tent and head out to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park.